Ronnie Mann (born 12 October 1986) is an English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2003, Mann has mostly fought in England and Japan. Mann is a veteran of the former top English organisation Cage Rage Championships and was a quarter-finalist in the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix in 2009, losing to Hatsu Hioki. Mann is also the current Shark Fights Featherweight champion, after defeating Doug Evans in September 2010. Mixed martial arts career Background and early career Mann grew up in Cheltenham, England. Mann also idolised Marco Ruas and Royce Gracie as a youngster after being introduced to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mann began taking Muay Thai lessons at the age of 11 and participated in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing tournaments at the age of 13. Mann competed in his first amateur fight at the age of 16 and turned professional a year later. In Japan, he fought under the name of Ronnie Ushiwaka, his mother's maiden name.( His Mothers Maiden Name was Promlert (THAI) Mann's professional mixed martial arts career began in November 2003 with a win over Andy Dicks. A few months later, Mann made his Shooto debut, at Shooto Holland where he won via triangle choke after 56 seconds. Staying in Holland, Mann won a further fight, knocking his opponent out in under two minutes. Mann then recorded five successive submission victories. Domestic prominence In mid-2006, Mann signed with top domestic organisation, Cage Rage and made his promotional debut at the Cage Rage: Contenders 1 event against Ashleigh Grimshaw. Mann later stated that the fight was one of his toughest, especially after being hit with an early low blow. The organisation, at the time, adopted the "open guard rule," allowing fighters to stomp on each other. At the end of the third round, the fight was declared a draw, despite Mann feeling that he had the better of the fight, after a knockdown in the first round and a triangle choke attempt in the second round. Mann later joined the Cage Gladiators promotion in England and made his promotional debut at Cage Gladiators 2, against Denas Banevicius, winning via submission (strikes) at 1:42 of the first round. Three months later, Mann returned at Cage Gladiators 3, defeating Chris Freeborn via submission (triangle choke) at 2:46 of the first round. At Cage Rage 20, in a rematch with Ashleigh Grimshaw,